How Did Lydon B. Johnson Contribute To The Vietnam War

According to both Logevall and Burns, U.S. intervention in Vietnam was primarily motivated by the Cold War motives of containing communism and also safeguarding American interests in Southeast Asia. Lydon B. Johnson’s escalation in 1964 came about as a result of perceived threats to U.S. interests and political pressure to resolve the conflict entirely amidst the Gulf of Tonkin incident. As a result, the Vietnam War profoundly impacted the Great Society programs Johnson had implemented as with the diversion of resources and attention to the war effort the effectiveness of his domestic policies was weakened significantly. Long-term consequences in Vietnam also saw widespread casualties and displacement among the locals while in the U.S. social
With the full commitment of U.S. resources as of April 1st of 1965, domestic policies began to crumble. The policies LBJ had implemented for his Great Society programs, which had aimed to combat poverty, wealth inequality, and generally promote social welfare in the U.S., had now found their funds completely diverted to the Vietnam War. This would hinder the Great Society in a multitude of ways with financial strain placed on the programs hindering expansion and implementation due to the new budgetary constraints while also reducing the capacity for poverty alleviation, education reform, and urban development. This lack of delivery on LBJ’s domestic policies left a lot of unfulfilled promises on the part of his administration and with the public being turned even further against the Vietnam War and by association, LBJ, the political capital to push forward with these Great Society policies was further diminished. Aside from the underwhelming execution of these Great Society programs, both the U.S. and Vietnam suffered severe consequences for their involvement in the